Leviticus 20:13 “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them,” states the Bible, one of the most controversial books ever printed. Each line has been read and debated on for centuries, and today, one verse is what stands in the way of the national legalization of same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage is a heated debate that has found its way to the for-front of social issues on the parties platforms. The parties stand like this: for or against. There is truly no in-between. It hasn’t always been this way. Just in the past decade we have seen the Democratic Party swing their support behind same-sex marriage. These last 10 years have also brought about the legalization of same-sex marriage in 13 states and the unconstitutional ruling of Section 3 in the Defense of Marriage Act by the Supreme Court. There is no doubt that times are changing, and I believe we should change with them.

Same-sex marriage should be legalized nationwide, because really, why shouldn’t it be? There is one standing argument against same-sex marriage, and that is the Bible. The Bible declares that homosexuality is a sin (as seen in verse 20:13 in the book of Leviticus), and there is no denying that the Bible states this, however is it a reason to deny people their right to marry whom they please?

The answer is no, and the reasons are simple. While we were a country founded on the principals of Christianity, we were also a country founded on the principals of equality and freedom. The saying from the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal” applies here. If all men are created equal, shouldn’t they all have equal rights? Aren’t we denying some one of their right when we tell them they cannot marry the person they love?

We are.

We gave the country freedom of religion, and now we stand here taking away civil rights because of religion. If people are allowed to practice the religion of their choice, or to practice none at all, isn’t requiring them to follow a rule built in one religion taking away their right to do just that?

Yes it is.

After my two small, but significant and impactful arguments, I come to a conclusion.

I am not writing this piece today to alter your decision on religion, whether homosexuality is a sin or not, or if the Bible is real or fake. This argument and this issue, in my opinion has little to nothing to do with that. It has to do with the rights outlined by our founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. We were promised equality and the ability to choose our religion or lack there of and we cannot take that away from fellow human beings.